


A Quiet Christmas

by TheWordAlchemist



Series: Andrew Brooks used to be a cop [3]
Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: Andy Brooks and OC, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2013-12-10
Packaged: 2018-01-04 07:23:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWordAlchemist/pseuds/TheWordAlchemist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andy's all alone this Christmas</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Quiet Christmas

It was December, and Andy was alone. He's always alone these days, but this time he's truly alone. Moloch was planning something very big and very secret and so left Andy's mind alone. The sudden quiet was comforting and more than a little disconcerting. He sat on the floor; legs crossed and exercised his thin, flimsy lungs. The oncoming cold was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it meant that he was rotting much more slowly; all the nesting maggots had died already and his intestines had all but stopped liquefying. Unfortunately, his joints grew very stiff and quite brittle: he had dislocated his shoulder more than once. But if he rubbed in warm castor oil every morning and every evening it wasn't so bad. He opened his eyes and looked at the calendar on his wall: December 3rd. They'd be turning on the lights in the town square tonight. Andy considered going; it could remind him of home. He always went to Time Square with his big brother, Nathan and his sister-in-law, Alysha. 

There was one year, just after Nathan and Alysha first started dating, that Nathan became bedridden with the flu on the very day of the lights in Time Square were due to turn on. It was bitterly cold, and 7-year-old Andy was wrapped up in so many layers he could hardly walk. His mother, Anna, sat at Nathan's bedside, mopping up the sweat. Nathan turned and smiled weakly at him, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Sorry Little Bear, you won't be able to see the lights this year." Andy's face screwed up as he tried really hard not to cry. Boys at school said that only girls cried. Even though that was silly – Nathan cried all the time – Andy still felt strange crying in front of people. Anyway, crying would just upset Nathan and that wasn't fair. There was a knock and Alysha entered. Little Andy still wasn't convinced that she wasn't something magical. Her hair was an electric blue bob that contrasted perfectly with her dark brown skin and, underneath her large black coat, she wore an equally bright pink sweater with green jeans. Her face was a riot of colour, with purple lips and yellow eye shadow. She took of her scarf and gloves, revealing peacock coloured nails. Andy waddled over to hug her and she planted a kiss on her forehead, laughing as she wiped off the lipstick stain. Alysha picked a tuppeware out of the plastic bag she brought with her. "Mum made spicy tomato soup: works a treat whenever I get ill." Nathan mumbled a weak thank you. Anna turned and looked at them both and cocked her head to the side. "Alysha, why don't you take Andy to see the lights? There's $5 on the cabinet. Get him some pizza or something." Alysha tucked her hair behind her ear and sputtered slightly. "No I couldn't possibly. I mean, we haven't been dating that long and…" Anna tutted. "Nonsense. You and Nathan have been friends long enough. You forget I've driven you home from school for months now. And you stuck up for him when those awful boys tried to beat him up. Besides, Andy loves you. Have a lovely evening." Alysha nodded mutely and went to squeeze Nathan's hand – he had fallen asleep again – before taking Andy's hand and leaving the small apartment.  
The snow was thick and deep, coming up just above Andy's boots. Alysha offered to carry him, but Andy loved the way the snow felt in his shoes. It was cold and wet and it tickled. He looked up at her, her face half hidden under her scarf. He asked her the same question he'd been asking for weeks. "Are you sure you aren't a fairy? Not even a little bit?" Alysha giggled and shook her head. "Yes I'm sure. I'm as human as you are." Andy trudged through the snow in silence for a moment, thinking intently. "Well that's impossible; you are far too pretty to be human. And you most definitely look magical." Alysha led go of Andy's hand and stroked his blue beanie. "That's very kind of you." They fell into a pleasant silence and just enjoyed the cold night air and sound of passing cars.  
When they were comfortably on the subway, Andy took off his gloves and lay them in his lap. "Alysha, Nathan is really sick, right?" She pushed her scarf under her chin and nodded. Somehow, her lipstick wasn't smudged. Andy nodded slowly. "Then why isn't he is hospital? Mummy said that sick people belong in hospital." Alysha stroked the beanie and smiled a little sadly. "Well Anna hasn't got much money right now so can't really afford to send Nathan to the hospital." Andy nodded slowly. "That's because all the money goes on Nathan's special medicine isn't it? You know, his voice is getting much deeper now." Alysha smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah, it is." They sat in silence until they got off the subway. Alysha took Andy's hand firmly and lead him through the congested streets to Time Square

Andy sighed to himself, wondering how his brother was doing, wondered if his dodgy leg was acting up in the cold. He wondered if Alysha got the promotion she was due this month. But most of all, he wondered if Katie was going to see the lights in Time Square again this year. The idea struck him. Instead of wondering, he could find out. He could hop on a train to New York and just watch them for a little while. That was silly, of course. What if they saw him? How in the world would he explain still being alive? He sighed and lay on his back, morbidly counting his injuries and futilely asked Moloch to heal him. As usual, there was no answer. He stood, put on his coat, and decided to go for a walk.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes Nathan is a trans man. I didn't really know how to include it in the story and make it natural. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Oh and this will almost certainly be full of errors


End file.
